


The Welcoming Party

by madrastic



Series: 14 Day Quarantine [14]
Category: Original Work
Genre: (in the form of intrusive thoughts), Aftermath of Torture, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drunk Blow Jobs, Drunken Flirting, Drunkenness, F/M, Foreplay, Gentleness, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kissing, Mirror Sex, Non-Human Genitalia, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Recovery, Self-Hatred, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madrastic/pseuds/madrastic
Summary: It's ridiculous, really, how after a few drinks Korroh will let anyone have their way with him. Well... at least it's better than being at home. Anything's better than that.Day 14: Mirror Sex
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: 14 Day Quarantine [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808296
Kudos: 3
Collections: 14 Day Quarantine





	The Welcoming Party

**Author's Note:**

> set during book 3 with a char yall havent met yet :3 also hooray for wrapping these up! they were so fun to write!

Korroh was drunk. Korroh was drunk, and he knew it. Not that it was a  _ bad _ thing, per se, he needed some alcohol in his body right now. It was so easy to forget how quickly alcohol took effect in his human form, weaving past Draconic tolerance to fill his head with cotton and courage and a light buzzing feeling along his skin. He really hoped that wasn’t an allergic reaction. It would be quite a travesty to end up allergic to booze after all this time.

Pushing dark hair out of his eyes, color made vague by lanternlight, he wandered through the halls of the unfamiliar castle. Why Councilmember Ezkei had consented to letting him stay, he still couldn’t understand. The dragon woman had taken one look at him and nodded, accepting him without a second thought as his son explained everything. It was a trap, he knew it. Better to be drunk for this, anyway. It would make everything easier to forget in the morning.

A woman brushed past him as he walked. At the delayed sight of him, she stopped and turned. The smell of alcohol was thick on her breath, dark green scales dotting the pale skin of her cheeks, a white streak in her light brown hair. Smiling at Korroh, she leaned against the wall, loose pants and shirt pooling off of her form, a full head and shoulders taller than him. Korroh felt scrutinized, as if she was trying to pick apart his mind with her leaf-green eyes herself, expression just a pretense for hunger. He should let her. It was what was expected of him.

“Hi.” She leaned forward, the characteristic rasp of electric breath lingering on the edges of her voice. “I’m Jaz.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jaz.” Keeping his head bowed, Korroh’s heart raced. He shouldn’t be doing this, he shouldn’t be speaking with her.

Shoulder-length hair in his periphery let Korroh know that she was tilting her head. “You’re really pretty.”

That was what she wanted. Fine. “Thank you, Miss.” His thoughts felt slowed, sluggish. Ideally, he’d want another few shots in his body.

“Jaz, come on. What’s your name?” Her head rested against the wall, a light sway in her body.

Already a mistake. “Korroh.” He kicked himself at the overformality.

“Korroh.” The way she turned his name over in her mouth ran a shiver down his spine. “Do you want to have some fun?”

Fun. Let’s call it that. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice. “Yes, Jaz.”

Jerking her head for him to follow, she insisted on walking beside him instead of letting him trail behind as she explained things here and there about this and that. If Korroh was being honest, he wasn’t really paying attention. The halls here all looked the same to him, painted-over stone and rugs on the floors with fancy styles imported from Eragah. It had probably cost a small fortune to furnish, with the size of it all.

To call Councilmember Ezkei’s home a “castle” would be an understatement. It was a sprawling complex, stretching over a small cluster of peaks atop a mountain, aerial walkways connecting buildings and towers filling up the sky where it had been too far to stretch a bridge. The Ezkei clan was a powerful one, the most in the entire mountain range, and their home was the clearest example of that. Paintings and tapestries accented walls where they could, buildings made to withstand the dragon fire of raging teens and children without much control over their powers.

It was… different. Different and exceptionally easy to get lost in.

The way to Jaz’s rooms was quick, especially when led by someone who knew where they were going. Hall after hall resolved itself into a door he was led through, a pale blue common room on the other side. Couches sat against the walls, a coffee table in the middle. What looked like a heating pad was in the corner, big enough to lie on. It looked rather wonderful, if he could say so himself. Cozy and comfortable on a level Korroh was rather unfamiliar with.

Here he was, about to desecrate it with his presence.

“I-I…” He cut himself off. What was he going to say, that he preferred that he not be fucked? That was what Jaz wanted, to shove her ovipositor into him until his body made her orgasm before she told him to get his disgusting carcass out of her sight.

A curious blink was shot his way. “Are you alright?”

Korroh nodded, like a liar. “Yes, very. What is it that you would like me to do?”

Closing the door behind them, Jaz leaned against the wood, head cocked to one side. “I mean, whatever you’d like. Is there something specific that’s off limits?”

Tremors worked their way into Korroh’s form, the dragon pressing his hands against his thighs to hide the trembling. This was a trick question. “Well, that depends on what you want.”

“Um,” her face twisted into confusion briefly, as if she were trying to figure him out, “I thought that we could have a bit of fun together, you can mount me or I you, whatever, really. I’m flexible.”

Those tremors had broken into full blown shaking as Korroh shook his head, body moving without his approval. “I w-would not like to be mounted, if at all possible, please, Miss Jaz.”

This was it. This was how he was going to get evicted from the Ezkei clan. Who was he to deny this woman—they were similar in age and she was clearly a far more senior member of the clan than he was. What gave him the right to tell her what they were going to do. Honestly, the gall Korroh had for talking back, Jaz had all the rights in the world to have his head presented to her on a silver platter for his insolence.

“No one has to stick anything in anyone.” She soothed instead, voice calm and even like there wasn’t a disobedient dragon in her personal quarters, shivering so bad that he looked like he was about to die. “We don’t have to do anything, if you don’t want to. No pressure.”

This was it, this was how Korroh completely and utterly lost composure in front of a member of a clan that could kill him in an instant if they desired. Her hands were too steady as she crossed over to Korroh and embraced him, her voice was too easy. Even drunk, Jaz was too nice. It had to be a trap. The right words were the right words, he should just lie down and let her have her way with him—it would be an honor, what with how much of a disgrace he was. Maybe she would have the good sense to use him and throw him to the wolves when she was finished. It was what he deserved.

“Thank you.” Was what Korroh said instead. “Maybe not penetration, but I can still please you, if you’d like.” The words tasted mechanical on his tongue, scripted and rote. Choking on her ovipositor was not how he would have preferred to spend his evening, but it was preferable to death, sometimes.

Jaz’s hands fluttered down to his hips, trying to comfort in the only way she knew how. “I was thinking of something a bit different. I can suck you off, if it’s fine by you.”

His mind ground to a halt. She wanted to do  _ what _ to him? Did she have eyes? She could see what he looked like, right? Why she would ever want to get her mouth close to something as disgusting as him, Korroh couldn’t comprehend. It wasn’t like he was going to say no to her, the last thing he wanted was to be shunted out of this clan’s housing, left to pick his path down from the mountains all by his lonesome.

“If you’d like.” There was a waver in his voice, subtle enough not to be noticeable, but it would have gotten him the paddle had he been in his former home.

Smiling, Jaz pressed her lips to Korroh’s cheek. “Wonderful. I know just the place; is it your first time?” A sympathetic note crept into her voice.

No. No, it very much was not. This was different, though. There were no commands here, no hands pushing him down into the bed, no one growling in his ear to just shut the fuck up and stop crying. Jaz seemed to want his opinion, inconsequential and scripted as it might have been. It was… new. No one had put their mouth on Korroh for a very, very long time and he had to admit, it wasn’t too much of a horrible thing. If this was the woman he was given to, he wouldn’t be complaining.

“It is like this.” He said quietly, demurely. It wouldn’t do to test her patience, especially not when he was being given the honor of doing this in her own chambers, where he could sully the floors, the bed, the fabric.

Jaz paused, thinking it over in her alcohol-addled mind. “We could do this in front of the mirror, if you’d like. You’d be able to see what I’m doing, so it can be less…” Waving her hand through the air, she tried to find the right word. “Sudden? Unsettling? All of those things, right?”

“I would not be opposed.” Was Korroh going to have to watch himself? Was this where the masochism bubbled up, forcing him to watch something as unworthy as himself, seeing his mistakes unfold in real time?

“Perfect.” Her teeth looked sharp enough to pierce the skin of his neck, let everyone know who had claimed him, for a little bit, at least.

Her arm was the chain that dragged him into the bathroom, drunken excitement sparking up around her, as she positioned them in front of a full-length mirror, the glass a clear crystal. Almost immediately, Korroh let his eyes drop from his face. He didn’t need to know what he looked like, how broken he was. It would probably have been easier to lie down and do this in the dark, to think about other things as his body was used. It had worked so well before.

“Why don’t you get undressed however much you want, I’ll put my hair up.” Jaz offered, already looking for a tie. Right, it wouldn’t do for Korroh to dirty her hair. She would be quite mad about that.

With her back turned, Korroh was able to examine the room he was in with slightly less worry that he was transgressing some unspoken boundary. It had been painted a light yellow, an approximation of buttercups and dandelions, had they been diluted some. The room was rather big, a porcelain bathtub with clawed feet taking up the corner and a vanity housing the sink, a smaller mirror set into that wall. The floor-length one he had been stationed in front of was framed in gold, the color shimmering with the arcane lamplight, reflecting pale blue tile and a shameful excuse of a dragon. He should get on it before his hesitation was noticed.

Trying to hide his rigid, mechanical motions, Korroh pulled off his boots and socks, setting them against the wall neatly. His pants were next, folded properly and placed on the edge of the tub. All that was left was his underwear. Just… he just had to take off his underwear, it wasn’t a problem. He wasn’t going to get hurt over this.

As he pulled down the fabric, Korroh couldn’t help the blush that rose to his face. He shouldn’t be doing this, he should get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. There were scars marring his newly exposed skin, cuts and burns on his legs from the various punishments he had endured. It was proof that he survived, at the very least. The worst was hidden under his shirt, and he would certainly not be showing anyone that. Korroh looked better with his clothes on, that was a given.

“Aren’t you a cutie.” Hands from behind him played at the hem of his shirt, wrapping around to trace teasing shapes into the skin of his stomach, seeming to ignore the way ridges of scars rose to meet her touch.

Despite himself, Korroh felt his breathing accelerate, gentle fingers playing at sensitive skin, his body taking expressed interest. Jaz’s chest fell against his back, her breath hot on his neck. How could she be so warm? They were the same species, and yet it was like she had never felt the bite of cold, frost had never made its home in her bones.

She hummed to herself, answering her own question. “Such a cutie. What do you like?”

What did he like? Korroh hadn’t known his own preferences for a very, very long time.

“I’m afraid I don’t know.” He answered truthfully. It wouldn’t do to lie to her.

“Care to find out together?”

Swallowing his nerves, Korroh nodded, careful not to jostle her. “Yes, Jaz.”

Her smile was plain to see in the mirror as she began to kiss at Korroh’s throat, brushes of her lips against his vulnerable skin that sent sparks of fear into his veins, drops of worry, brain reminding him how much a bite would hurt, how dangerous it would be, how exposed this area was. Jaz’s hand snaked up, tipping Korroh’s chin up with a barely-there motion.

“Look in the mirror, you can see what I’m doing.” The low voice in his ear helped blood travel south, not a growl but a light, easy tone. She wasn’t mad at him, she wasn’t mad at him. “It can help with nerves, and just tell me to stop if you want me to.”

Korroh could do that, stop what was happening. It was an odd thought, that he could, but what was the worst that Jaz could do to him here? Kill him? A quiet part of his mind voiced the fact that he didn’t  _ want _ her to stop. For how scared he was, this felt nice. Jaz was treating him gently, her hands soft and careful, motions telegraphed if he looked at the mirror. There were no teeth on his neck, just warm lips and the occasional hint of tongue as it darted up to lick hot dots against his skin.

Looking up, Korroh could see her, green eyes hiding a smile as their gazes met. Those hands moved down, playing with the insides of his thighs as a blush crept up Korroh’s face, the novelty of the situation so much. He could feel himself growing wetter, his cock waking up in its sheath for the first time in a very, very long time. When Jaz sucked on his neck ever so gently, Korroh stifled a whimper, disguising it in a gasp. No one needed to hear him, he should spare Jaz that punishment.

“Is that good?” She asked, tucking a lock of his dark brown hair behind his ear, fingers lingering.

“Yes.” Maker, Korroh sounded a bit winded, like it was hard work to stand here and not upset Jaz. “Thank you.”

A deep, low trill sounded from the dragon woman, pleased and content, for some reason. How she could like what was happening, Korroh didn’t understand. He wasn’t even doing anything to her, just letting her touch him. Hot breath on the shell of his ear was Korroh’s only warning as she licked it, nibbling gently at a spot Korroh didn’t know was supposed to feel so good. It took everything in him not to flinch, feeling his blush darken and the tip of his cock slip out of his sheath. The quietest chirps formed in his throat, muffled by sheer will.

Korroh could feel Jaz smile against his skin. “You can make noises, you know. It lets me know I’m doing something right.”

His breath caught in his chest, a note of fear entering his eyes. No. He wasn’t going to be making any noises today. That was a level of shame and embarrassment that he would never be ready for. It was his own fault when Jaz drew away and—

Lips pressed against his as Jaz crossed to his front, twisting his head with the ghosts of fingertips so that their mouths could meet. Traces of alcohol were still on her tongue as the kiss deepened. She was drunker than Korroh thought, but so was he, judging from how sluggish his thoughts were, how settled his body felt. Kissing back, it was almost funny how long it had been since someone treated him like this, like he wasn’t a repulsive creature, like he wasn’t the mistake to end all mistakes. It was… nice. It was nice, and Korroh liked it.

Sinking down to her knees, Jaz feathered kisses to Korroh’s hips, artfully ignoring his member, a ridged blue thing quickly everting between his legs. The lubricant on it shimmered, catching the lanternlight as it slid out of Korroh, bit by bit. Jaz pressed a kiss to it, parting her lips to slip his cockhead between them, tongue swiping over the slit there. Gasping, Korroh whined high in his throat, gritting his teeth and waiting for the strike. She was going to bite. She was going to slap him across the face. She was going to drag him through the halls by the hair and—

“There you go, now I know that you like that.” Jaz grinned up at him and Korroh felt like he was only getting drunker. “Here, put your hands on my head so you can feel where I am. It helps sometimes.”

Like a man possessed, a man that didn’t know his own status, Korroh let his hands rest atop Jaz’s head like feathers as she went back to her work, lapping at Korroh’s quickly hardening length. Her hair was so soft, like touching a cloud. The curls bunched around his fingers, light and airy, impossibly silky. Maybe Jaz wasn’t a dragon at all, maybe she was a divine being and Korroh should feel blessed to even be in her presence.

Catching a look at himself in the mirror, Korroh took in his appearance for the first time in decades. Most mirrors were passed without a second look, or, when needed, glanced at with tired, unfocused eyes, trying to obscure as much of himself as possible. There was nothing about him that would warrant a prolonged look, and yet, here he was, looking.

There were freckles on his skin. It was funny, how that was the first thing he noticed. Just a little bit of sun, and those electrum freckles were back, dancing around the patches of blue scales around his cheeks like stars. Maker, he looked so young, hardly older than his son’s friends. Six years, eight, at the absolute maximum. By the time he was their age, at least, visually, Korroh had already been caring for his child, long since given birth.

His hair was getting long. It was funny how that thought came so quickly to him. Korroh should think about cutting it sooner or later, but a quiet note in his head let him know that seeing those dark strands on the floor would hurt more than he thought. Maybe he could ask the medic his son was travelling with to do it, they seemed to be good with a pair of scissors.

Scars crisscrossed his legs, a burn mark here and there. What he didn’t expect was how well his eye had healed. Well, not his eye, but the skin around it. Korroh’s left eye was still made of silvery metal, sculpted to look like an eye with an iris and a pupil and arcanely enchanted to have its own vision. It made his other eye, his natural dark blue, look so much darker. Silver was very much not his color.

His focus shifted as Jaz took the whole of his cock in her mouth, doing  _ something _ that made him trill sharply, the sound dying off in a whimper. Against his will, his hands briefly tightened in Jaz’s hair before his mind caught up to his body, letting go immediately.

“I-I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to—it will never happen again, I promise—” The quake in his voice was genuine terror, where did he get off, thinking that he could beg his way out of a punishment he rightfully deserved.

With a lewd pop, Jaz sat back on her heels, a confused expression on her face. “What? Oh, I don’t care about my hair. You can pull it if you want, I won’t mind. It’s really okay, we were all new sometimes, consider me your welcoming committee. You’re kith now, according to Sabzhon, and that’s good enough for all of us.”

New. Ha, right. He was new. If he could keep his mouth shut, Korroh could probably ride out his novelty without much issue, errors attributed to that rather than his innate defects. That was why he was being treated so kindly: he was a new plaything and hadn’t gotten old yet. At least he could enjoy it while it lasted, even if it ended up with him learning a thing or two the hard way. Maybe the strike wouldn’t come after this, maybe he could just keep on moving.

Gripping his thighs, Jaz continued with her work, swirling her tongue around the tip of his dick in a way that had Korroh seeing stars, little pleading whimpers on the tip of his tongue. With what she was doing, he was close. He was very close indeed. Slick smeared between his thighs, his slit knowing what was coming next well enough. At least it would hurt less like this, now that he was wet and loose for Jaz.

“P-please.” Begging, how fitting. He should have been whipped for something so daring, no matter that his words were barely loud enough to be a whisper.

Jaz just hummed around his cock, clearly enjoying how it made Korroh’s breath hitch, his legs twitch as she brought him to the edge. This wasn’t allowed, he was supposed to ask for permission. The effort of holding himself back brought spots to Korroh’s vision as Jaz continued, intent on torturing him for as long as she could. Korroh might have been new, but he knew well enough not to cum without prior permission, especially when it would get all over everything. That he would even be  _ allowed _ to cum was another story. Breathing hard, Korroh felt his muscles jump as the deepest point of his stomach contracted, impossibly tight, impossibly hot. He wasn’t going to last.

“Please.” More insistent. “I-I… I need—” What was he even going to beg for? For Jaz to let him orgasm or for her to stop? Which was even preferable at this point? What did she want?

Those deft fingers squeezed his thigh in acknowledgement as one hand shifted, exploring the junction of his thighs with soft, gentle fingers. As Jaz drew her fingertips along the line of his slit, it proved to be too much for Korroh. With a series of debased chirps, he felt himself release into Jaz’s mouth without warning, mind spinning, thoughts sluggish with alcohol and sex.

As she pulled back, swallowing, his blood ran cold. Maker, he had just ejaculated into her mouth like some kind of untrained creature. She was going to have his head, she was going to whip him until he couldn’t move, couldn’t sit properly without his muscles screaming out for relief. This was how Korroh died, this was how Korroh was given away to anyone and anything that would take him. The kindness of strangers ran out quickly, patience even more so.

Sitting back on her heels, Jaz calmly wiping sweet blue slick from her mouth, she smiled at him. “I take it I wasn’t too bad, right?”

What.

“I’m sorry.” It was always best to apologize immediately. At least he wouldn’t be punished for being an uppity, disgraceful thing.

“What are you sorry for?” There was a look of confusion in Jaz’s eyes.

“I-I…” Slow blinks. There were tears starting to well up in Korroh’s eyes. He wasn’t allowed to cry right now. Only children cried, and he hadn’t been given permission.

In a single fluid motion, Jaz rose to her feet, giving Korroh a hesitant, artificially sober hug. “Um… Sabzhon mentioned that you might have some trauma with relationships and I’m sorry if I messed that up for you. I just wanted to say hi and have a nice time with you, but if I made you uncomfortable, I’m really sorry and I’ll try not to do it again.”

All Korroh could do was blink tears out of his eyes as this woman, a full head taller than him and so much stronger than him, tried to comfort him in the only way she was able. Her hug was… well, Korroh wouldn’t say “comforting” was the right word, but she was trying, and he could appreciate that. It was just such a hilarious concept, that she was so convinced that she had done something wrong and that it wasn’t just that Korroh was broken. His head felt clear for the first time in centuries. Maker above, he was completely and utterly broken.

“It isn’t your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong.” His voice was quiet, patting her back with careful, hesitant motions.

“No, it is.” Jaz sighed, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “It is, I shouldn’t have insisted. I’m too buzzed, and I should have controlled myself better. I’m sorry, really sorry.”

What alcohol had to do with this, Korroh didn’t know. “I wouldn’t say that. It was nice.”

“ _ You’re _ nice.” She hugged him tighter and Korroh was not ashamed to admit that his heart sped up, fear and bravery trickling into his veins as a deep tiredness crept into his bones.

Cotton tickled at the edges of his mind—he felt drained. It was almost like he had stayed up for days, fighting against drugs in his system. Shaking his head to clear it, Korroh felt his vision unfocus briefly. No. It shouldn’t be like this. Though he couldn’t smell the telltale prickle of magic on the air, he still felt a quiver enter his limbs, uncontrollable shaking spreading through him as Jaz let go, concerned.

“Can I get you some water? I have snacks?” Those green eyes looked down at him, worry glittering behind them. Glancing down, Korroh fixed his stare to his feet.

“I’m alright, thank you.” He steadied himself with a breath. “If you’d like, I can leave. It isn’t a problem.”

A hand darted out, holding onto his arm as if he’d started to go already. “You don’t have to.” It all came out as a rush. “I—you don’t have to. My magic can be… um… a bit draining if I’m not focusing, but you’re really nice and if you want to share my bed or something, I wouldn’t be opposed. It can also make your sleep better, you won’t have nightmares—if you have them, I mean.”

She wanted him to share her bed with her. This woman wanted  _ Korroh _ to share her bed for the night. It was completely and utterly ridiculous, that someone would want something as inconsiderate as him. There was really no reason to say “no”, though. What would he do, wander back to his own rooms and sit on his bed, shaking, flinching at every wingbeat outside his window? Even if Korroh did manage to get to sleep, there would still be his dreams waiting for him. At least this was a guarantee of a restful night. At this point, Korroh would give up a great deal of things to be able to sleep through the night.

“Alright.” There were little cracks in his voice, but Jaz brightened.

There was talk about sleep clothes that completely flew over Korroh’s head as he saw her bedroom, an offshoot from the common area. It was painted a rich blue, bits and pieces of blown glass hanging at the window. It must have looked mesmerizing when the sun streamed through, covering the room in specks of rainbow and light. Now, though, there was a tray of enchanted rocks in a little brazier lighting up the room, steady arcane light painting the room in pretty shades as the glass twisted idly in unseen air currents.

A pile of pillows and blankets remotely resembling a bed was in the corner, clean and homey. It seemed like a nice place to be, especially during the winter. Korroh had to envy the amount of soft things Jaz had, the amount of personality crammed into her room. Books and knick knacks filled shelves, spilled out onto her desk. It was… nice. Lived in, that would be a better term for it. Her room looked very lived in. A brief pang crossed Korroh’s heart. Seven centuries, and he had never felt cozy in—No. Not right now. He wasn’t thinking of that right now.

“—and you can borrow mine, I won’t mind!” Jaz was saying, handing Korroh an oversized shirt that was already too big on her.

He just blinked, eyes owlish and wide. It was unfortunately clear how much he hadn’t been paying attention.

“For sleeping.” The answer was supposed to be obvious, from Jaz’s voice. “Were you thinking of sleeping in what you have?”

Looking down, Korroh saw the problem. His day shirt was a rumpled thing, not able to cover his hips. This would hide him better, this would keep people from seeing the mess he had made of himself. With quiet thanks, Korroh accepted the shirt from her, a spring green thing that was incredibly soft, worn from decades of washes.

He turned away politely as he stripped; Jaz likely wouldn’t want to see the patchwork of scars on his chest. It had the tendency to turn people’s stomachs, especially other dragons’. No one would want to see that. The edge of the blade had not left him with much in the way of beauty.

A quiet gasp sounded behind him and hesitant fingers ghosted over the leftover marks from lashes on his back. There were burns here and there, splotches of skin where the white-hot remnants of breath had dripped onto his skin. It had hurt like he had been dying at the time, and Korroh was not one to reminisce much on the smell of burning flesh.

“Where are those from?” Jaz sounded horrified as he pulled the borrowed shirt over his head, adjusting the fabric so that everything that needed to be covered was covered. There was just the very tip of a scar on his chest poking out from the wide neck of the shirt.

The hem fell to the midpoint of his thighs, the fabric gentle and yielding. “I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s alright with you.”

“O-oh, of course.” She shifted, and Korroh heard the sound of clothing being dropped on the floor as she changed. “Here, why don’t you lie down and I can turn out the light.”

With a nod, Korroh obliged her, carefully ensuring that Jaz would still have the best pillows without needing to be unnecessarily close to him. It was just being considerate. As the lights went out, Korroh curled up tighter, listening to the sound of Jaz’s footfalls making their way to the bed. Rustling and shifting signaled her entrance and, with slow, cautious hands, she reached out to him.

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Jaz looked almost curious. “Come here, you’ll get cold.”

Korroh scooted forward, only to have a blanket draped over him, warm hands pressing his body against Jaz’s. The strike never came, there was no pain that lanced through him, just soft bedding, an arcane heating pad, and a circle of arms around him. Before Jaz could ask anything, Korroh let himself relax, resting his forehead against her collarbone. Now that he was so close, he could hear the quiet crackle of her magic, like a faraway fire. It was relaxing, really.

“Your magic is draining?” His own voice was a surprise to him, bolder in the dark.

Those arms tightened around him, tangling them up like young wyrmlings. “Mhm. It makes people tired and sleep better when they’re around me.”

“No dreams?”

“No dreams.” She promised. “I’ll keep those nasty things away.”

That was an acceptable tradeoff for this, for the unexpected cuddling. Korroh would hate it when he overstayed his welcome.


End file.
